Paint brushes



Dec. 17, 1957 'I. H. KRAVITT PAINTBRUSHES Filed Oct. 1. 1954 INVENTOR lrrfiz Jfrm zfi ATTORNEY United States Patent() PAINT BRUSHES Irwin H. Kravitt, Philadelphia, Pa.

Application October 1, 1954, Serial No. 459,626

1 Claim. (Cl. 15-106) This invention relates to paint brushes, and it relates more particularly to a brush which is suitable, not only for painting broad flat surfaces, but also for finer work,

so that the same may be used for cutting the paint along definite lines, and for getting into places which ordinarily would require a separate brush.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a paint brush which is so constructed and arranged as to enable the user to apply the paint easily and quickly on large areas, and also permit the user to do finer or trim work without the necessity of having a separate brush available for such purpose.

A further object of the invention is to provide a brush of the character aforesaid, which is so constructed and arranged that the main body of the bristles will form a reservoir for the paint, so that, when the auxiliary brush which is used for finer work is employed, the paint may be supplied from the reservoir provided by the larger or main body of bristles.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel construction of a brush of the character aforesaid, whereby the auxiliary brush, which is used for the finer Work, may be readily and conveniently brought to operative position by the user thereof.

A further object of the invention is to provide a brush of the character aforesaid, having means contained within the handle thereof to maintain and hold the auxiliary brush, which is used for finer work, in its extended or retracted position as desired.

The nature and characteristic features of the present invention will be more readily understood from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming part hereof, in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a paint brush embodying the main features of the present invention, the same being partly broken away to illustrate the construction and arrangement thereof, and the auxiliary brush, for the finer work, being shown in dotted lines in its extended or operative position;

Fig. 2 is a vertical central section taken approximately on the line 22 of Fig. l, the auxiliary brush being shown in its retracted position;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but with the auxiliary brush extended to its operative position;

Fig. 4 is a transverse section of the handle portion taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 5 is a similar section taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

It should of course be understood that the description and drawing herein are illustrative merely, and that various changes and modifications may be made in the structure shown without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Referring to the drawing, in the particular embodiment of the invention therein shown, 5 is the handle portion of the brush proper, extending from the head portion 6 thereof, to which the main body 7 of the bristles is secured in the usual manner.

The usual ferrule 8 may be provided around the place where the bristles are joined to the head portion 6 of the brush structure.

The head portion 6 of the main brush structure, and the handle 5 thereof, is provided with a hole 9 extending lengthwise therethrough, which hole is in communication With the front face of the head portion 6, and the handle portion 5, through a slot 10. I

In the hole 9 there is mounted a handle like portion or shank 11 of an auxiliary brush 12, which shank 11 is of a diameter appreciably less than that of the hole 9, in which it is slidably mounted, for a purpose to be presently explained. I

One end of the auxiliary brush 12 is provided with a group of bristles 13 so positioned that when the auxiliary brush 12 is retracted, said bristles are entirely surrounded by the bristles 7 of the main brush.

Mounted within the space provided by reason of the diameter of the shank 11 being less than that of the hole 9, is a leaf spring 14, fiat in cross-section but bowed in its lengthwise extension, the arrangement being such that the shank portion 11 of the auxiliary brush 12, when said brush is in the retracted position, is pushed by the central portion of the leaf spring 14 toward the inner surface of the hole 9 on the side thereof in which the slot 10 is located.

However, when the auxiliary brush 12 is extended to its operative position, the inner end of the shank portion 11 thereof will be pushed forwardly within the hole 9, and the portion of the spring 14 adjacent the end thereof will bear against the inner end of the shank 11 of the auxiliary brush 12 as illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawing, and will thus provide an effective resistance to inward movement of the auxiliary brush 12, while the same is being used for its intended purpose.

The end of the leaf spring 14, which is adjacent the inner end of the shank 11 of the auxiliary brush when the same is in the extended position, will at all times bear against the inner surface of the hole 9, and will dig into the surface thereof, thereby providing an effective means for retaining the spring 14 within the hole 9 after the parts are assembled.

The movement of the auxiliary brush, to its inner and outer positions respectively, is limited by the provision of a screw 15, which is threaded into the inner end of the shank 11 of the auxiliary brush 12, passing through the slot 10 of the handle 5 of the main brush, and having a button 16 secured under the head of the screw 15 which is disposed externally for manual actuation of the auxiliary brush to and from the retracted and extended positions thereof.

When the brush is to be used on large areas, the auxiliary brush is retracted and the bristles thereof will be buried within the body of the bristles of the main brush and will not interfere with the normal use thereof.

On the other hand, when it is desired to do finer work, as for example, in cutting around the various portions of a window sash, or along the edges of molding, the operator may cause the auxiliary brush 12 to be extended until the bristles 13 thereof project a considerable distance beyond the end of the main body of the bristles, as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawing, and indicated by dotted lines in Fig. l of the drawing. This action is accomplished by manually engaging the button 16, under the head of the screw 15, which is secured in the upper end of the shank portion 11 of the auxiliary brush 12, and by pushing the same to cause the bristles 13 of the auxiliary brush to be extended, as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawing.

When the finer work has been accomplished, and it is desired to use the main brush again, for painting broad a flat areas, i is only necessary to manually engage the button 16 under the head of the screw 15, and by the proper manipulation thereof, to cause the shank 11 of the auxiliary brush 12 to be withdrawn within the hole 9 and to-beheld therein by means of the leaf spring 14.

It'will be seen that when the auxiliary brush 12 is-in use, it will not be necessary to dip the same constantly into thespaint pot, as a considerable volume of paint will be taken up by the bristles of the main brush, and the same will act as a reservoir for the auxiliary brush, the paint on which may be replenished from time to time by merely retracting the same into the main body of the bristles, after which a slight manipulation of the bristles of the main brush Will cause the bristles of the auxiliary brush to take up some of the paint therefrom.

It will be seen that by the foregoing arrangement there is provided a simple yet eificient form of brush, which will serve a dual purpose, primarily intended for paintinglarge areas, but which will also permit the brush to be used for finer work when necessary.

I claim:

In a paint brush of the character described comprising a supporting head, a handle extending therefrom, a main, body of bristles secured thereto, and an auxiliary brush having a shank of circular cross-section the bristles whereof are adapted to be projected beyond and retracted within the main body of bristles, the bristles of the auxiliary brush being parallel with the main body of bristles and surrounded by the same when the auxiliary brush is in the retracted position, the head portion to which the main body of the bristles is secured and the handle portion having a hole extending lengthwise therethrough and in which the shank portion of the auxiliary brush is slidabl y located, said hole being in communication with the front face of the"head portion and the handle portion through a slot, a button carried by the end of the .shank of the auxiliary brush an'dpositioned on the front face of the handle portion and head portion for the manual actuation of the auxiliary brush to the desired position, the hole in which the shank portion of the auxiliary brush is located being of circular cross-section and of a diameter larger than that ofsaid shank portion of the auxiliary brush thereby to provide an internal space of crescent like shape in cross section, and a single bowed leaf spring extending lengthwise in the wide .part of said internal space and at all times bearing against one side of said shankportiomsaid spring serving to maintain the auxiliary brush in the extended or retracted position to which the same is moved-by theuser.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 513,071 Baldwin Jan. 23,1894 726,716 'Maher 'Apr. 29, '1903 1,030,592 Leland June 25, 1912 2,312,279 Zaiger Feb. 23, 1943 2,533,838 Ranft Dec. 12,1950 2,671,238 Nehrke Mar. 9, 1954 2,739,331 Goodman "Mar. 27, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 783,976 France Apr. 15, 1935 916,500 France Aug. 19, 1946 OTHER REFERENCES Washington Post, Sunday, May 4, 1952, The Parade Section, page 17, A Handy New Paint Brush." 

